The U.S. Department of Transportation Released a New “Faces of Distracted Driving” Video in which the friends and family of Pennsylvania 21-year-old Casey Feldman Speaks of Their Loss

Casey Feldman, a 21 year old was struck and killed by a distracted driver as she crossed a street in Ocean City, New Jersey in 2009.

“I’m honored that the Feldman family chose to share their story in our series,” said Secretary LaHood. “Distracted driving is an epidemic on our roadways, and I hope that everyone who hears Casey’s family and friends speak about their tragic loss will remember to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel.”

“Telling Casey’s story – of the kind of person she was and how she died – helps me and my family and her friends as we grieve her loss,” said Joel Feldman, Casey’s father. “It helps us to know people think of Casey, that she is not forgotten, and that lives are being saved through her memory.”

“Faces of Distracted Driving” is a video series exploring the tragic consequences of texting and cell phone use while driving. It features people from across the country who have been injured or lost loved ones in distracted driving crashes.

The series is part of Secretary LaHood’s effort to raise greater awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.

In 2009, nearly 5,500 people died in accidents involving a distracted driver. In fact, distraction-related deaths accounted for 16 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2009, the same percentage as in 2008. The latest data came as the overall number of highway deaths dropped last year to its lowest level since 1950. The recent Transportation Department report said 448,000 people were injured in crashes reported to have involved driver distractions in 2009. An estimated 466,000 people were injured under those circumstances in 2008. 16 percent of all drivers under age 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported to have been distracted while driving. Drivers in that age group were the highest proportion of distracted drivers involved in fatal car crashes compared to people of other ages.